Economy minister: agriculture one of key focuses of Armenian government’s 2014-2017 program

YEREVAN, May 20. /АРКА/. Agriculture is one of the top-priority focuses of the Armenian government’s 2014-2017 program, Economy Minister Karen Chshmarityan told journalists on Tuesday on the sidelines of the sixth session of the CIS Council for Protection of Consumers’ Rights.

The program was put on the National Assembly’s floor on Tuesday.

Chshmarityan stressed that one of Armenia’s most important objectives is to enhance its agriculture’s productivity, since it is two times weaker than that of the country’s industry.

Enhancement of the agriculture sector’s productivity will contribute to redistribution of the state revenue.

“If the share of agriculture, even including hundreds of thousands of farms, is very small in the country’s economy, this directly affects the industry and other segments of the economy,” he said.

Armenia’s agriculture output amounted to AMD 111.29 billion in Jan-Apr 2014 showing 4.1% growth, compared with the same period a year before. Agriculture, forestry and fishery make up 19.3% of the country’s GDP. --0----